The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #2944   Message #4221353
Posted By: cnd
21-Apr-25 - 10:03 AM
Thread Name: Lyr ADD: Sickbed Blues (Skip James)
Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Sickbed Blues (Skip James)
Luigi, that's a good start, and appreciate your providing it. YouTube transcriptions have come a long, long way from what they once were....

Note that "two weeks to go" in Davis's introduction doesn't make much sense -- the song had previously been released on the 1963 album, The Greatest Of The Delta Blues Singers (Storyville 670 185) -- unless he's just hamming it up for the audience. Note that the 1963 recording is a third version, different from Jim's transcription above -- listen.

Here's how I hear the 1964 Newport recording Luigi asked about.

(spoken) This is a piece that I composed when I was in Tunica, Mississippi, in the hospital, on my sick bed, two weeks ago".

Laying sick, on my bed
I'm laying down sick, on in my bed
I used to have few friends but they wished that I were dead

I got a letter this morning -- how you reckon it read?
I got a letter this morning -- how you reckon it read?
Boys, I've been meditating on what my baby said

Ahh, Lord, oh Lordy, Lord, Lordy, Lord
I've been badly mistreated and abused like a dog

The doctor came, looking very sad
The doctor came, looking very sad
He diagnosed my case and he said it was very bad

He walked away, talking very low
He walked away, talking very low
He said, "It may get better but I ain't never get well, no more"